Jim Thompson Flagship Store

Discovering the process
For the house of Jim Thompson in Bangkok, which formalises, in the Thai megalopolis, a harbour of peace condensing the exuberance of a tropical landscape and the quiet intimacy of Thai culture coloured room, the Jim Thompson shops represent a juxtaposition of various realms.
A vast central void symbolises the tropical garden, framed by a pleated green silk curtain background to which are attached ascending golden shelves supporting objects.
Inserted in the curtain, thick doors open onto a series of alcoves. These are intimate rooms with dark wood tonalities, green recesses, golden sparks, which hold ranges of clothes or accessories, in a staging of oriental and occidental dialectic.
At the public space and shop interface, the shop windows are visually separated worlds, with neat and changing scenography, reflecting the brand world.
As a garden door would, only the large main glassed entrance doors allow views over the indoors atmosphere and space.
The shop of Siam Paragon Mall, on a surface of 550sqm, is the first command to the agency to formalize the ideas developed in the concept.
Delivered in July, 2017, the project gets organized around a vast central space on the ground of green marble livened up by gilded inserts, where groups of fractal furniture, sometimes supports of tropical plants, are implanted.
Suspended on 5.50m of height, the curtain of green silk waved, in a silk weaved by the mark, draws a landscape strewed with golden shelves. In the center of the volume, a zenithal light feigns the diurnal light by a led lamp reproducing the circadian rhythm.
Through wide openings, the space of the "garden" communicates with a series of dedicated alcoves: ready-to-wear clothing Women and Men, Accessories, Home Design, containing intimate rooms on the ground, walnut walls liven up the green background of the presentation recess and the tropical tapestries wallpaper.
In every alcove, a golden niche stages Thai dancers' hands, stuffed parrots or openwork Chinese lanterns, a wink to the South-East Asia.
Several golden tables, designed by thaï designer Rush Pleansuk, enhance the composition of the Home design section.

Data
Program: Jim Thompson Flagship Store
Address: Siam Paragon Shopping Center, Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok
Client: The Thaï Silk Company Ltd.
Architect / Designer: Flint (Bordeaux – France)
Lighting Designer: ON (Paris – France)
Site Architect: Narin Assawapornchai (The Thaï Silk Company- Bangkok)
Constructor: Silverview (Bangkok)
Area: 550 sqm
Cost: NC
Material and brands: Spider green and Black marquina marble, Walnut veneer, Golden brass, Silk Curtain in Jim Thompson fabric, Silk Carpets by Jim Thompson, Wall paper by Ananbô, Golden tables specially designed by Rush Pleansuk, Lighting brands: FLOS / I GUZZINI

AGENCY
Christophe Gautié and Véronique Tastet, both architects, have founded the Flint Agency in 1995.
Alongside small private orders, Flint is interested primarily in the public sector and, in 1998, the agency wins the competition for the “Hangar 14” restructuring on the Bordeaux docks.
This project is awardee the “Prize of the first realization”; this first major achievement will enable them to be selected in numerous competitions.
In France, such as the one for the Louvre Antenne in Lens, the lace museum in Calais or the new FRAC in Marseille, Dunkerque and Bordeaux, but also in Europe, with three projects realized in Madrid.
For some years now, Flint develops interior architecture and design project for hotels and restaurants in France, and for luxury stores in Thaïland.

The agency refuses to be specialized in a particular sector and conversely claims its willingness to confront its approach in all types of fields and scales being in the urban and territory sphere as well as the one of buildings and interior architecture.

BIOGRAPHY
Véronique Tastet was born in 1961 in Bayonne and was awarded a diploma by the School of architecture of Bordeaux in 1985.
She followed a program of urban architecture at the school of Architecture Paris Villemin during two years (86-87) then a formation in scenography of exhibitions in La Villette in 1988. She is also a holder, since 2015, of a D.U in " Urban law, Town planning and Sustainable development of Territories " of the University Paris 13.

Christophe Gautié was born in 1962 to Albi and was awarded a diploma by the School of architecture of Bordeaux in 1990. He participates in numerous juries of architectural competitions and taught in 2008 and 2009, at the School of Architecture of Toulouse.